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DAW for the keyboardist... help me choose...


EdgarDavid

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Hi, so... I am new here with this login but have been a member a long time ago :-)

 

After 8 years almost completely out of music I am ready to come back to the light :-) I have the opportunity to produce a little bit of music for some audiovisuals and for some royalty free music library...

 

So I am choosing my DAW, after all this years I am lost on what is new with each one. I would be producing everything by myself 99% virtual instruments.My criteria:

 

1. Most bang for the buck: Apart of not having much money this gigs will not generate a ton of money so, this is more of a "I need to do this for my soul" thing... spending the least possible and getting the most possible regarding VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTS is my priority.

 

2. Ease of use and tools to produce and get ideas. I used cubase, pro tools and reason in the past, so I know all of them are reasonable easy to learn... but I would like to have arpeggiators, drum machines, loops manipulation and stuff like that.

 

So basically that... What I have been considering:

 

1. Reaper + Komplete: I know komplete is more sounds that I would ever need, but it is awesome :-) and reaper is adequate for what I need for know from a DAW...

 

2. Logic... What I don't like about it is that it is Apple only, and this maybe my last apple computer for many reasons I won't go here. I think this one is the best bang for the buck right?

 

3. Sonar Platinum... I am not sure how many instruments and tools for creating music it includes, as a DAW I see it is more than I need and I love the new payment model they have...

 

4. Reason... well... I love that software, I would buy reason no matter what if money wasn't a consideration... I don't know how much the library has grown since version... 2!!! I guess a lot!

 

5. Pro Tools... I guess i like the subscription model... I am not sure how many instruments it includes though...

 

 

So, from a keyboardist standpoint that wants to produce inside the box... what is your choice and what would you recommend for me?

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Hi' date=' so... I am new here with this login but have been a member a long time ago :-) [/quote']

 

Welcome back. :cool2: If you'd like, you can drop me a PM with your old user name and I can try to get it restored for you. :wave:

 

After 8 years almost completely out of music I am ready to come back to the light :-) I have the opportunity to produce a little bit of music for some audiovisuals and for some royalty free music library...

 

So I am choosing my DAW, after all this years I am lost on what is new with each one. I would be producing everything by myself 99% virtual instruments.My criteria:

 

1. Most bang for the buck: Apart of not having much money this gigs will not generate a ton of money so, this is more of a "I need to do this for my soul" thing... spending the least possible and getting the most possible regarding VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTS is my priority.

 

You can get a bunch of free VI's over at KVR.

 

As far as inexpensive DAW software, Cockos Reaper is pretty darned popular. There's a non-expiring, non-crippled demo you can download and try it out, so there's no reason not to at least take a look and see what you think. My main concern with it are the MIDI features - I'm not sure how fully-featured it is, or whether it has editable MIDI notation or not. It has been a while since I've tried it, and the developer is constantly adding new features, so it's quite possibly been beefed up in that regard since I last checked it out.

 

 

2. Ease of use and tools to produce and get ideas. I used cubase, pro tools and reason in the past, so I know all of them are reasonable easy to learn... but I would like to have arpeggiators, drum machines, loops manipulation and stuff like that.

 

I'd suggest checking out SONAR. It has a lot of those kinds of features that can really help kick start your creativity, but since you're a Mac guy, you'd need to run it with Boot Camp, or if it's available, try out the new Mac-compatible version called SONAR OSX, which is currently still in Alpha I believe.

 

 

So basically that... What I have been considering:

 

1. Reaper + Komplete: I know komplete is more sounds that I would ever need, but it is awesome :-) and reaper is adequate for what I need for know from a DAW...

 

2. Logic... What I don't like about it is that it is Apple only, and this maybe my last apple computer for many reasons I won't go here. I think this one is the best bang for the buck right?

 

It was my main sequencer for ages, then they dropped PC support (Logic 5) and I've been kind of out of the loop since then. I hear rumors that they're not doing nearly the development on it anymore compared to what they did in the past, but that should be treated as an unsubstantiated rumor. I really don't know for sure either way.

 

3. Sonar Platinum... I am not sure how many instruments and tools for creating music it includes, as a DAW I see it is more than I need and I love the new payment model they have...

 

Yeah, they really did come up with a good subscription model.

 

Did you know there's a demo version of SONAR available now too? :)

 

As far as the included instruments, click here for a list of all the included plug-ins, including the V.I.'s. :)

 

4. Reason... well... I love that software, I would buy reason no matter what if money wasn't a consideration... I don't know how much the library has grown since version... 2!!! I guess a lot!

 

5. Pro Tools... I guess i like the subscription model... I am not sure how many instruments it includes though...

 

Here's the full list of included plug-ins for Pro Tools 12, including the virtual instruments... of which, there really aren't all that many, but again, you can always look for freeware virtual instruments over on KVR, regardless of which DAW you decide on.

 

So, from a keyboardist standpoint that wants to produce inside the box... what is your choice and what would you recommend for me?

 

FWIW, I currently primarily use Pro Tools HD 10 and SONAR Platinum. I have both Mac and PC systems.

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Let me throw something in here that you prolly don't want to hear but I wish that someone had told me this years ago...

 

I tried Sonar and Reason and other DAW/VI packages and invested heavily in a kick-butt computer and audio/MIDI production system, and after a lot of grief I tossed it all in a storage cabinet in favor of a simple hardware Tascam 24-track recorder and real keyboards. The reason was latency which noone ever really solved after all the years we've had to live with it. No matter if I go to my basement studio (see pic) or a high-dollar Pro Tools suite the problem of latency rears it's ugly head when using VST keyboards. Virtual instruments do not respond like hardware instruments ever. The best result I have gotten is by using wireless Bluetooth LE for MIDI on an iPad for playing virtual instruments but nothing matches the response of a real instrument under your fingers. I now use my home computer DAW for mastering only. As a bonus I have real knobs, faders and buttons on my recorder - I never liked using a mouse for engineering.

 

I know that virtual instruments look like a great cost-saver when assembling a home studio, and VSTs can be effective for effects and mastering etc., but after all the tears and frustration I believe virtual keyboards are not the bargain they appear to be. You can always resell a real keyboard and good used synths are everywhere.

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Welcome back. :cool2: If you'd like, you can drop me a PM with your old user name and I can try to get it restored for you. :wave:

 

 

Thanks I don't think I even remember my old login :-)

 

Thanks for such a comprehensive response... yeah I have been leaning towards Sonar... I hadn't seen that list you posted... wow! and yes their OS X version is still in alfa... but will be available. THEY ARE OFFERING LIFETIME UPDATES for new license from now through december 31!!!

 

Yes I have Reaper installed... It has a lot of midi features, not that much as you said. but considering komplete+reaper I think just reaktor makes up for everything reaper may lack.

 

So thanks again... thinking it...

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Let me throw something in here that you prolly don't want to hear but I wish that someone had told me this years ago...

 

Hi, thanks... I know what you are saying... If I had the space and money I would go that route...I would prefer that in fact... unfortunately $800 can buy me a ton of software and just a barely descent workstation. But my main problem is that I don't own a house so setting up studio is not feasible and also I travel, so taking the studio with me is of course not possible :-)

 

Nice setup you have there... what keyboards are those?

 

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You sequence midi on that standalone tascam unit?

 

No, I use the keyboard sequencers for MIDI and the Tascam for audio. They can be synced via MIDI.

 

I get what you are saying about money, space, portability etc... I'm just saying that the virtual instrument world is misleading and in the end you often wind up spending more for less.

 

The keyboards in my picture from left to right, bottom to top, include a Yamaha CP300, Yamaha Motif XS61, Oxygen 8, Tyros 3, Novation X-Station 49, Hammond SK2, Korg SV-1, Kawai ES4.

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